The FBI is reporting that hate crime incidents were slightly down last year. Numbers by the FBI showed there were 5,796 such incidents in 2012, compared to 6,222 in 2011.
The data contained in Hate Crime Statistics, 2012 is a subset of the information that law enforcement submits to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. According to the FBI:
- 48.3 percent of the 5,790 single-bias incidents were racially motivated, while 19.6 percent resulted from sexual orientation bias and 19 percent from religious bias.
- Of the 7,164 hate crime victims, 55.4 percent were victims of crimes against persons and 41.8 percent were victims of crimes against property. The remaining 2.8 percent were victims of crimes against society (like drug offenses, gambling, and prostitution).
- 39.6 percent of the victims of crimes against persons suffered simple assaults, while 37.5 percent were intimidated and 21.5 percent were victims of aggravated assault. (Law enforcement also reported 10 murders and 15 rapes as hate crimes.)
- An overwhelming majority—75.6 percent—of the victims of crimes against property were victimized by acts of destruction, damage, and/or vandalism.
- Of the 5,331 known offenders, 54.6 percent were white and 23.3 percent were black.
The full report can be downloaded at http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2013/november/annual-hate-crime-statistics-show-slight-decease
